Sanctions for private colleges invite charges of communalism and corruption in Kerala

Sanctions for private colleges invite charges of communalism and corruption in Kerala

Sanctions for private colleges invite charges of communalism and corruption.

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M G Radhakrishnan

December 31, 1994

ISSUE DATE: December 31, 1994

UPDATED: July 18, 2013 12:58 IST

Police lathicharge a student rally

It is indeed ironic that a decision on education should have been taken with such complete lack of wisdom. The Kerala Government's move to sanction 71 new private colleges to educational societies, organised almost totally and unabashedly along communal lines, has been roundly criticised - by the students, the teachers, and the courts.

Yet, despite the widespread violence that the announcement sparked off, an obdurate administration has indicated that there will be no change in its policy which smacks not only of political opportunism but also of corruption.

In doing so, it has decided to ignore the state high court which observed on November 21 that there had been many irregularities, undue haste and violation of laws on the part of the Government in the sanctioning of the colleges.

The high court also dismissed a writ filed by the Government against the single judge's order directing the three universities in the state not to sanction any new colleges. Instead, the state has now decided to move the Supreme Court against the stay from the high court.

The students' agitation, which paralysed the state's education system in the wake of the Government's announcement, has been temporarily withdrawn to wait for the Supreme Court's decision. But a lot of damage has already been done.

The agitation took a violent turn on November 15 with the death of five pro-CPI(M) students in police firing in the northern district of Kannur, when they were trying to block the way of the minister for cooperation, M.V. Raghavan. In retaliation, angry mobs went on a rampage, setting fire to Raghavan's ancestral house in Kannur and also damaging public offices and buses.

Apart from the communal nature of the proposal, the decision to allot colleges to the private sector infuriated students. Most of these will be self-financing institutions, charging phenomenal amounts as fees. What drew criticism from the courts was the manner in which the sanctions were given. Many of the irregularities were pointed out in the high court's ruling.

They include accepting applications for colleges after the expiry of the last date, and granting sanctions to some managements which at that time had not even submitted their applications.

The chief secretary of Kerala, R. Ramachandran Nair, admits that the Sree Vidhyadhiraja Vidyasamajam, a society of which his brother is the president, was allotted three colleges without even applying for them. However, he claims, "When the Government found that around 60 of the 71 colleges had gone to Christian and Muslim managements, this society was asked to apply."

The court also criticised the Government for directly receiving applications and granting sanctions for colleges, bypassing the universities concerned. It pointed out a case where an MLA requested sanction for a college at Kallikkandy in Kannur district. The state cabinet sanctioned it without even consulting the Calicut University, within whose territorial limits the college was to be set up.

Students protesting against the decisio

The communal angle is no less blatant. The statement of Korambayil Aahed Haji, state general secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the party which handles the education portfolio in the state Cabinet, is direct: "Of the 71 colleges sanctioned this year, 21 are for managements belonging to Christians, 25 for Muslims, five for Nairs, four for Ezhavas, and 16 for other Hindu communities and others."

Interestingly, the sanctions appear to be proportionate to the strength and clout of each community in the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), exercised through its representative party.

One of the defences offered by the ruling front for its decision is that minorities can realise their right to higher education only if they have their own colleges. "Muslims have been traditionally backward in education.

Although they make up 22 per cent of the state's population, only 16 of the 133 arts and science colleges belonged to Muslim managements until now," says Haji. Of the 71 new colleges, 35 per cent have been allotted to Muslim managements.

The Government's claim is dismissed by opposition leader, V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI(M). "Why should a community need colleges run by its own members? Then what are government colleges for?'' he asks. "And if it is to correct the imbalance, why should Christian managements be given 21 more colleges when they already run 73 of the 133 existing colleges?"

Government sanctions were given to the various managements without even ascertaining their ability to run those colleges.

According to state Education Minister E.T. Muhammed Basheer, financial constraints were another factor in the decision to allot colleges to the private sector. Although over 40 per cent of the state's developmental expenditure is on education - Rs 980 crore in 1992-93 - this has started declining recently as the state is strapped for funds.

However, this argument too does not convince the Government' s critics as salaries for the staff of even private colleges are given from the state exchequer. "The Government will incur an additional annual expenditure of Rs 50 crore on the new colleges," says Achuthanandan.

Many also see the private colleges as money-making machines for their managements. These colleges can earn hefty amounts through appointments of teachers and allocations of seats. The going rate for a lecturer's job is above Rs 2 lakh and that for a seat in a B.Ed course over Rs 25,000.

Many of the managements that have received sanctions do not possess even the bare requisites for a college such as enough land, buildings and laboratory equipment. Some of them, in fact, exist only on paper, and others have not yet been granted affiliation to any university.

Making allegations of favouritism and corruption in the allotment of colleges, Achuthanandan has charged Chief Secretary Nair with lobbying for the sanction of colleges to societies which had links with him or his relatives.

Nair, while denying the charge, insists that "there have been no irregularities" in. the sanctioning of colleges. Adding that there is "nothing strange" in allotting colleges on communal lines, Nair defends it saying: "It has been the practice in the whole of India."

The decision of the Government to sanction 71 new colleges at one go is unprecedented in a state which has had a total of 173 colleges for the past 125 years. But if the Government wanted to make higher education accessible to more students, its plan has already backfired as most of the current academic year is likely to be spent outside the: classroom by both the students and the teachers.

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